Dyanne Earley retired in 2001 as the artistic director of the Marriott Theatre, a title she had held since 1980. She was with the company for 25 years, working her way up from the box office. She holds the distinction of being the first woman to be nominated for direction of a musical by the Jeff Awards committee.

￼"Dyanne was the driving force behind the new works that we did," said Terry James, the current executive producer of the Marriott, in a statement. "That was one of her passions. She also really championed musicals for children. Hundreds of thousands of kids were introduced to theater as a result. That will be a lasting legacy."

In lieu of flowers, Ms. Earley asked that contributions be made to the Byron Grant Musical Theatre Scholarship Fund at Webster University. (Checks may be made to Webster University with “Byron Grant Scholarship” in the memo line and brought directly to the memorial service. Checks may also be sent to: Ron Gibbs, Development Officer, Webster University, 470 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119.) For more information visit dyanneearley.com.